Özgür Özel read the correspondence between him and Mesut Özarslan.

10.02.2026 14:41

In his statements in the party group, CHP leader Özgür Özel read the correspondence between him and Keçiören Mayor Mesut Özarslan from the podium.

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel made striking remarks about Keçiören Mayor Mesut Özarslan, who resigned from CHP and filed a criminal complaint on the grounds that he was insulted by Özel during his party's group meeting.

Reading the correspondence between him and Keçiören Mayor Mesut Özarslan, who resigned from CHP saying "Özgür Özel insulted me," Özel stated, "You came to me and said: 'My Chairman, I have no fault, no defect, they are lying, they are slandering, do not believe them. Trust me, I have not taken anyone's rights, I have not taken bribes, I have not committed theft.' I believed you. Now you are surrendering to those who do not believe you, to those who supposedly slander you. Or you are confessing to them that you lied to me and that you are actually a thief. I do not want to believe this. I want to see the Mesut who had eyes shining like fire and said he believed. But I understand that that Mesut was also a lie. I realized that you are a thief. And you are trying to save yourself by reconciling with those who know about your theft and those who have seen your theft. Then you have found your due," he expressed.

Highlights from Özel's statements on the subject;

"They said CHP could not rise above three municipalities, yet we won 16 municipalities. One of them was Keçiören Municipality. Many allegations have arisen about the Keçiören Mayor during his term. I called him to our Headquarters several times, three times with a special agenda. And I said: 'There are these allegations, what do you say about them?' He... I said: 'If you have any fault, say it now, we do not deal with those who commit corruption. Turkey has pinned its hopes on us, if you are afraid of something, tell us and take the necessary action.'

"HE DENIED BY INVOLVING HIS CHILDREN IN OATHS"

He said that everything said was slander, that he has never been involved in corruption or theft, and he denied everything with great oaths here, starting with Mayor Mansur and our 15 mayors, 14 mayors, everyone witnessed; he denied everything by involving his children in oaths, by including his family in those terrible oaths and proofs. Until three days ago, until three days ago...

"NAME KNOWN, BODY KNOWN, DAY KNOWN"

Then we receive information from everywhere that he is having secret meetings with the AK Party, that he will switch here... Later we learn that, for example, a municipal council member told Mayor Mansur a month ago; he offered me, 'If I switch to the AK Party, will you come with me?' His name is known, his body is known, the day is known. And there are such things that a completely different witness will come now, there is a surprise witness group for this.

"HE MADE INAPPROPRIATE REMARKS ABOUT HIMSELF"

And we learn that he will join the AK Party on Wednesday. Phones are ringing, he does not answer the provincial chairman's calls, he does not answer his friends' calls, he is fleeing the city. His closest ones say 'yes, he was joining.' And on this, I call him a day before. A thousand oaths! The praises he said to me, 'Do not say that'... 'You are the greatest leader to come to the head of the party after Atatürk,' starting with inappropriate remarks about himself, 'Am I so dishonorable, am I so dot dot dot, am I such and such'...

"IF I HAVE ANY INTENT TOWARDS THE FAMILY, MAY GOD PUNISH ME"

The next day he turns off his phones. And because I could not reach him by phone, I send him a message. Those messages, those messages that 'Sir, he insulted my mother...' God forbid! What mother, the mother who gave birth to you would be ashamed of every word you mixed with her. Every word you mixed with her! Other than that, what I will say is aimed at personality determination. If I have any intent towards the family, may God punish me.

"PROVE ONE AND PROVE ANOTHER"

But someone there is also saying falsely; 'he insulted our national values, he insulted this...' He will do something... 'He insulted our sacred values, he insulted my family.' Prove one, prove another, prove one!

HE READ THE MESSAGES ONE BY ONE

Look, it is not mine, it is his that he leaked... If I were to leak this, I would speak accordingly, right? I mean, I would be very afraid, very ashamed to look at the messages.

Where is the CHP Chairman? Where is someone? What kind of party is CHP? What kind of party is someone? The document that was leaked against us and supposedly will be taken to court; you are in such a wrong that; yesterday you were calling those you called thieves, those you called despicable, you are trying to enter the arms of those who call you a thief, who attack you. They are deceiving you, son, they are deceiving you.

If I have a fault, if I have a theft... If you have a fault, if you have a theft... I cannot digest this anyway. But if you are going to those who digest you with your theft, you are already on the wrong path.

Now these are the proofs that I will be ashamed of and his... The conversations between us, what I said to him and what he said, the documents he leaked:

You came to me and said: 'My Chairman, I have no fault, no defect, they are lying, they are slandering, do not believe them. Trust me, I have not taken anyone's rights, I have not taken bribes, I have not committed theft.'

I believed you. Now you are surrendering to those who do not believe you, to those who supposedly slander you. Or you are confessing to them that you lied to me and that you are actually a thief.

"I REALIZED THAT YOU ARE A THIEF"

I do not want to believe this. I want to see the Mesut who had eyes shining like fire and said he believed. But I understand that that Mesut was also a lie. I realized that you are a thief.

And you are trying to save yourself by reconciling with those who know about your theft and those who have seen your theft. Then you have found your due.

Know this Mesut; I need the Mesut who comes to me, with eyes sparkling, speaking properly and saying that he has not been involved with thieves, rent, or bribery.

If that Mesut deceived me, may that Mesut's path be open. I will never, ever deal with thieves or corrupt people. The AK Party may deal with them. Those who embrace you, those who embrace you; those who filed a criminal complaint against you will swallow what you said, we do not have such a thing.

The era is not the era of thieves. The era is not the era of the AK Party. That era is ending. When our revolution begins, even if you beg and cry, I will not forgive you after this time. Even if you turn back, I will not forgive you. You have confessed that you are a thief, that you are corrupt, that you are despicable right now. You took refuge in those who said these words, you turned your back on those who defended you; you made your choice. Since you were a thief, why did you keep us waiting? May your path be open."